Apparatus for electroplating



Sept. 5, 1967 E; BUY K 3,340,174

7 APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING Filed NOV. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4 5LiLIVENTZR? JOSEPH E. BUYNAK BY Ma 60, Gm,

Medal 8 7e ATTORNEYS Sept. 5, 1967 VJ E, BUYNAK 3,340,174

APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLAT ING Filed Nov. 27, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 29bFIG. 7

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FIG, 2 JOSEPH E. BUYNAK BY Moaq, G'zeene,

3 l mmz veawm ATTORNEYS FIG. 6 I ga 42 United States Patent ()fiice3,340,174 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 3,340,174 APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATINGJoseph E. Buynak, 6016 Fir St., Cleveland, Ohio 44102 Filed Nov. 27,1964, Ser. No. 414,392 7 Claims. (Cl. 204-213) This invention relates toapparatus for electroplating, and more particularly to a container forreceiving small parts to be electroplated, which preferably may beplaced in a plating barrel arranged to be immersed and rotated within atank containing electroplating solution.

Heretofore, in electroplating relatively small parts in smallquantities, it has been necessary to provide special equipment for usein the electroplating tank. Such equipment was not only quite expensivefrom a cost and maintenance standpoint, but failed to producesatisfactorily plated parts. It was found that in many cases the platingsolution failed to circulate properly throughout the container holdingthe parts, resulting in non-uniformly plated surfaces. Furthermore, theuse of such equipment entailed the consumption of an excessive amount ofcurrent to obtain results, thus adding to the cost of producing theparts. Where small parts containers have been employed in the usualbarrel plating apparatus, there has been a failure to obtain uniformplating of the parts, due not only to the lack of circulation of theplating solution throughout the container, but also to the texture ofthe inner surface of the container which resulted in the parts slidingtherealong as the container was tumbled or agitated within the platingbarrel. In sliding along this inner surface, the parts became anintegrated mass, leaving surfaces on some parts only partially exposedto the plating solution. Prior small parts containers failed to makeproper provision for the current carrying member within the container,thus further contributing to the inadequacy of prior devices.

Accordingly, it is among the objects of this invention to provide acontainer for holding small parts to be electroplated which is sturdy inconstruction and capable of withstanding tumbling and agitation withother parts in an electroplating barrel, and wherein adequate aperturesare provided through the wall thereof to facilitate the free-flow ofplating solution through the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a small parts containerfor use in an electroplating barrel having agitating means therewithinfor effecting tumbling of the parts within the container, and whereinmeans are provided to eifect the flow of current through such parts.

Another object of the invention -is to provide a small parts containerfor use in an electroplating barrel, wherein means are provided for thefree-flow of plating solution through the container and for maintainingthe parts therewithin, and wherein an inner wall surface is presented tothe parts disposed within the container which enhances the tumbling andchurning thereof in the plating solution, thereby insuring a uniformlyplated surface.

These and other objects and advantageous features of the invention, notat this time more particularly pointed out, will become apparent as thenature of the invention is better understood from the follow-ingdetailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like referencecharacters denote corresponding parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal elevational view of barrelplating apparatus disposed within a plating tank with parts broken away,omitted and shown in crosssection and embodying the device of thepresent invention,

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a small parts container constructed inaccordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 3 is an exploded plan view illustrating the araligned bearingrangements of the several components of the container of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of thecontainer of FIGURE 2, taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the container, taken along the line 5-5of FIGURE 4,

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the inner wall surface ofthe container, taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale throughthe wall of the container, taken along the line 77 of FIGURE 6 andillustrating the position of small parts in the container which are tobe electroplated.

With reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly FIGURE 1,there is illustrated electroplating apparatus employing a small partscontainer made in accordance with the present invention including aconventional rectangular open top plating tank A mounted in a fixedposition on the floor and a removable plating assembly B mounted on thetank with portions submerged in the liquid within the tank. The tank Acomprises a flat rectangular bottom wall 1, flat vertical end walls (notshown) and flat parallel vertical side walls 2 and 3. Metal angles 4 arerigidly mounted on the top portions of the wall of the tank to providehorizontal edges at the top of the tank for supporting a pair ofcylindrical low-resistance copper cathode rods 5. The rods are supportedwith their axes parallel and in substantially the same plane by twopairs of detachable clamping elements 6. Each of the clamping elements 6includes a Y-shaped lower portion rigidly bolted to the angle 4 and aninverted U-shaped upper portion bolted to said lower portion. Anelectrical connection is provided between the cathode rods 5 including acopper bus bar 7 of rectangular cross-section. The bus bar 7 isconnected to the negative terminal of a source of electric current in aconventional manner. The positive terminal of said source is connectedin a similar manner to the anode bars of the tank whereby a current canbe conducted from the anodes to the cathodes in the usual manner.

The removable assembly B includes a steel frame 8 having end portionswhich may be mounted on top of the cathode rods 5 with rigidlongitudinally aligned vertical guide members 9 and includes a rotatableperforated barrel 10 suspended from the frame between the guide members9 and submerged in the plating solution when the frame rests on the sidewalls of the tank. The plating barrel may be of any suitable shape. Asshown in FIG- URE l, the barrel 10 is of regular polygonal cross-sectionand comprises a series of flat rectangular side walls 11 which areprovided with rows of perforations 12 and are held in fixed positionrelative to each other by parallel ribs or bars 13. The opposite ends ofthe barrel are closed by a pair of coaxial vertical pulleys 14 which arerigidly attached to the ribs 13 and side walls 11 to support the barrel.Access to the interior of the barrel is provided through a lid 14a.

The barrel 10 is supported from the frame 8 by means of a horizontalshaft 15. A pair of spaced upper pulleys 16 is mounted on the shaft 15between the guide members 9 in alignment with the lower pulleys 14. Theshaft 15 is journaled for rotation in a pair of longitudinally blocks 17and may be driven by means of a motor (not shown) through suitable spurgears 18 and 19 positioned beyond the end of the frame 8.

Electrode means are provided for the barrel 10 including a pair offlexible conduits or cables 20. A pair of coaxial horizontally alignednon-rotatable stub shafts 21 is provided at the opposite ends of thebarrel 10 to hold the conduits in position during rotation of thebarrel. The stub shafts are supported in the vertical guides 9. Theupper ends of the conduits 20 (FIGURE 1) are rigidly secured to thesaddles 23 formed on the frame 8 which are adapted to rest on thecathode rods 5. The lower ends of the conduits 20 disposed within thein- .terior of the barrel 10 engage the articles to be plated and conveycurrent thereto.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the container 25 for receiving small parts to beelectroplated is disposed in the barrel 10 and is subjected to rotationand tumbling in the same manner as other parts being processed therein.

. portion 26 having a wall of substantial thickness defining a chamber26a for the reception of parts to be treated. The body portion is madeof a synthetic plastic material, preferably polyvinyl chloride, which iscapable of withstanding severe punishment and is impervious to platingsolutions. Adjacent the opposite ends of the body portion 26 thereareprovided opposed circumferential slots 27 which are of sufficient depthto extend through the wall of the body portion and effect communicationwith the interior of the chamber. The wall of the container is providedwith rows of relatively large perforations 28 of a size to facilitatethe free-flow of plating solution through the container.

Closure members 29 are provided for the ends of the body portion 26 andinclude a cylindrical portion 29a which extends into the chamber 26a andis provided with an outwardly projecting peripheral end flange 29b, forengaging the end wall of the body portion 26. Adjacent the inner end ofthe cylindrical portion 29a there is formed in the surface thereof acircular groove or recess 30. The groove 30 is so positioned withrespect to the end flange 2% that, when the closure member 29 is seatedwithin the end of body portion 26, slots 27 and groove 30 are insubstantial alignment as shown in FIG- URE 4. An O-ring 31 is adapted toencircle the outer wall surface of the body portion 26 and engage withinthe slots 27 thereof and the groove 30 formed on the cylindrical body29a of the closure members 29. When so engaged in the groove 30, theclosure member is securely held within the end of the container.

The inner end wall surface of the cylindrical portion 29a is scored asat 29c to present a surface which will repel and agitate the small partsin the container as they are subjected to tumbling therewithin. An axialopening 32 is provided through closure members 29 to receive anelectrode 33. The electrode 33 is preferably encased in a protectivesheath 34, and the outer end thereof is secured to a terminal member 35which either engages the parts disposed within the barrel 10 or the endof conduit 20 to effect an electrical connection therewith. The opening32 through the closure member 29 is counter bored on the inner end ofclosure member 29 to form a recess 36 in which is mounted a terminalmember 37 securely fixed to the end of the conduit 33 projecting throughthe opening 32. An outwardlyprojecting pin 38 is formed on the terminal37. Connecting the terminal members 37 of the closure members 29 at theopposite end of the body portion 26 is a length of bead chain 39provided with a connector 40 at each end thereof for receiving the pin38. 'Any suitable member, such as a cotter pin 41, extending through thepin 38 serves to maintain the connector 40 thereon.

The bead chain 39 is approximately twice the length of the distancebetween the terminals 37 and is so disposed within the container housing26 that effective electrical engagement is maintained with the partscontained therewithin. The bead chain is so constructed that small partsdo not become irnmeshed with links thereof, and further serves toalleviate any massing or piling up of the small parts within thecontainer during the processing thereof. Accordingly, by means of theelectrodes 33 and unique. characteristics of the bead chain 39, a flowof current through the container is provided which adequately serves theparts being processed within the container.

As shown in FIGURE 3, there is provided a lining 42 of screeningmaterial which lies closely adjacent the inner wall of the body portion26. This screening material is of relatively fine mesh, the openingstherethrough being of such a size that parts to be plated cannot escapefrom the container through the perforations 28. How

ever, the screen does not interfere with the free-flow ol electroplatingsolution through the container 25. Within the lining 42 of the housing26 there is provided an agitating member 43 which takes the form of aperforated cylindrical sleeve having an inner surface presenting spacedribs extending spirally of the interior of the container. The surfacethus presented to the small parts disposed within the containermitigates against any sliding of the parts on the interior surface andthe formation of an integrated mass and promotes tumbling or churning ofthe parts, thus presenting all surfaces of such parts to theelectroplating solution to effect uniform plating.

The liner screen 42 and agitating member 43 are preferably made of aplastic material which is impervious to the plating solution and can bereadily replaced at a nominal cost.

The container 25 of the present invention, when used with relativelysmall parts, makes it possible to promss such parts in the ordinarycommercial plating barrel. The wall of the container is of sufficientthickness to withstand severe usage when disposed in such a platingbarrel. The perforated side wall is such that there is free-flow ofplating solution through the container and the parts disposed therein.The interior construction of the container promotes agitation andtumbling of the parts within the container as the same is subjected tothe action of the plating barrel. The head chain disposed within thecontainer serves as an excellent conductor of electrical current to theparts disposed therein and maintains itself free from entanglement withthe parts being processed.

While there has been described therein and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings a presently preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, it is to be understood that various modifications andrefinements which depart from the illustrated embodiment may be adoptedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for electroplating including a tank for electroplatingsolution and a plating barrel arranged to be rotated therein, acontainer for receiving small parts adapted to be placed within thebarrel comprising a perforated hollow cylindrical housing and closuremembers at the opposed ends thereof, agitating means complemental to theinner surface of the housing and adapted to be received therein, acovering of relatively fine mesh material disposed against the innerwall surface of the.

housing and means for conveying electric current through the containerand the parts disposed'therein.

2. In apparatus for electroplating including a tank for electroplatingsolution and a plating barrel arranged to be rotated within the tank, acontainer for receiving and processing relatively small parts comprisinga perforated hollow cylindrical housing, means for agitating the partswithin said container, said means including a removable cylindricalsleeve complemental to the inner surface of the container and having aninner surface presenting a plurality of ribs extending spirally of thelength of the housing, a layer of fine mesh material disposed betweenthe said agitating means and the inner wall of the housing, and meansfor conveying electric current through the container and the partscontained therein.

3. A container for use in electroplating small parts comprising acylindrical housing defining a chamber having a perforated wall portionfor receiving the parts to be electroplated, means within said chamberfor agitating the parts during the plating process, said means includinga sleeve having longitudinally extending spaced ribs projecting from theinner surface thereof, a covering of fine mesh material on the innersurface of said housing, closure means for the opposite ends of thehousing, resilient means for maintaining said closure means on the endsof the housing, and means for conveying electric current through thecontainer.

4. In apparatus for electroplating including a tank for electroplatingsolution and a plating barrel arranged to be rotated within the tank, acontainer for receiving small parts adapted to be placed within thebarrel comprising a hollow cylindrical housing member having aperforated Wall portion through which the plating solution freely flows,a liner of relatively fine mesh material covering the interior wallsurface of the housing, a perforated sleeve superimposed on said linerand having a ribbed inner surface, said surface adapted to effect atumbling of the parts disposed within the container as the latter isrotated within the plating barrel, closure members for the ends of saidhousing member, and means for conveying electric current through thecontainer and the parts disposed therein.

5. A container for receiving small parts adapted to be processed withina plating barrel comprising a hollow cylindrical housing member having aperforated Wall portion, a liner of relatively fine mesh materialcovering the interior wall surface of the housing, means for agitatingthe parts within the container including a perforated sleevesuperimposed on said liner, longitudinal ribs spirally arranged on theinner surface of said sleeve, closure members for the end of saidhousing member, means for resiliently maintaining said closure memberson the housing, and means carried by said closure members for conveyingelectric current and the parts disposed therein.

6. In apparatus for electroplating including a tank for electroplatingsolution and a plating barrel arranged to be rotated within the tank, acontainer for receiving small parts adapted to be placed Within thebarrel comprising a hollow cylindrical housing member having aperforated wall portion through which the plating solution freely flows,a line of relatively fine mesh material covering the interior wallsurface of the housing, means for agitating the parts within thecontainer as the latter is rotated within the plating barrel, said meansincluding a perforated sleeve having a plurality of spirally disposedribs projecting inwardly therefrom, closure members for the ends of saidhousing member, said closure member having means for conveying electriccurrent to the interior of the container and means for resilientlymaintaining the closure members within the ends of the cylindrical hous-111g.

7. A container for receiving small parts to be processed within aplating barrel comprising a cylindrical housing member having aperforated Wall portion and defining a chamber, concentric membersdisposed within said chamber adjacent the inner Wall surface thereof oneof said members presenting a ribbed surface to the parts disposed withinthe housing, closure members for the ends of said housing, means forsecuring the closure members Within the ends of said housing, said meansincluding diametrically opposed slots extending through the Walladjacent each end of the housing, a circumferential groove formed on theportion of the closure member disposed Within the end of the housing andadapted to be aligned with said slots, resilient means encircling theouter surface of the housing and engaging Within the aligned slots andgroove and means for conveying electric current through the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,021,241 11/1935 Mall 2851612,260,712 10/1941 Harrison 285-174 2,689,215 9/1954 Bart 204-263,159,560 12/1964 Belke 204213 JOHN H. MACK, Primary Examiner.

W. VAN SISE, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING INCLUDING A TANK FOR ELECTROPLATINGSOLUTION AND A PLATING BARREL ARRANGED TO BE ROTATED THEREIN, ACONTAINER FOR RECEIVING SMALL PARTS ADAPTED TO BE PLACED WITHIN THEBARREL COMPRISING A PERFORATED HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL HOUSING AND CLOSUREMEMBERS AT THE OPPOSED ENDS THEREOF, AGITATING MEANS COMPLEMENTAL TO THEINNER SURFACE OF THE HOUSING AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED THEREIN, ACOVERING OF RELATIVELY FINE MESH MATERIAL DISPOSED AGAINST THE INNERWALL SURFACE OF THE HOUSING AND MEANS FOR CONVEYING ELECTRIC CURRENTTHROUGH THE CONTAINER AND THE PARTS DISPOSED THEREIN.